[purchase] Ages ago – I mean at least two or three months ago – when the global impact of the virus was just beginning to emerge, I ordered a Lost Stock Box. At the time, it was a new charity, founded purely to support garment workers in Bangladesh. Stores were cancelling their orders left, right and centre leaving millions of clothing items with no home and thousands of workers with no work and therefore no means to support their families. Although I’d donated to causes closer to home I wanted to do something wider as well and Lost Stock was the perfect thing, the idea being to receive £70 worth of clothes (3 garments, or 5 for kids) destined for landfill for £35 with the £35 being used to support a worker and their family for a week with hygiene and food essentials.
I don’t think Lost Stock, which works with the SAJIDA foundation (HERE), had any idea that their scheme would be as popular as it turned out to be. So, from a 6 week delivery estimate, a pivot from boxes to bags, and various hold ups along the way, at last the Lost Stock is being delivered and mine arrived yesterday. I’m honestly thrilled – particularly with the dress in the main picture which I was prancing about in within seconds of opening.
There’s an element of risk – I know a couple of people who don’t like any of their things despite there being options such as plains or patterns as well as size and gender preference (and now kid’s boxes). There is definitely a bit of luck involved but the way I saw it was that the donation was one I wanted to make regardless so anything I liked was a bonus and anything I didn’t like could be donated on elsewhere. So, I received the dress (love!), and navy and white t-shirt slightly cropped (love) and a frilly summer top in cornflower blue (don’t love). The summer top will go to a new home but the others will be worn and worn. Everything has been re-labelled with the Lost Stock logo so you never quite know what shops they were destined for but they have a welcome home with me so it doesn’t matter. Lucy and Mr BBB have both got boxes on order and now I’m excited to see theirs. Shipping is to UK, Ireland, New Zealand and Australia but it’s been such a success – despite setbacks – that I am sure it will open out to more countries. If you order, you may like nothing or you may like everything but the thing you will like is the entrepreneurial spirit that rose for the good from fast thinking and a desire not to see $2 billion worth of clothes disappear while families went hungry. It’s a very positive thing to do, I think. Find Lost Stock HERE.
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16 comments
What a great idea, always like supporting charities like this. Even if you, ie me, didn’t like any of the clothes they can always go to a local charity shop.
exactly – a win-win.
That dress looks great on you, Jane! The pattern is really interesting. I hope Lost Stock will ship to the U.S. soon–I look forward to supporting the Bangla workers.
Thanks Arpita, I hope so too.
That dress looks really lovely on you Jane!
thank you so much – am so happy with it Joanne!
Hi Jane did you choose patterned or plain to get stripes? Thanks
It was so long ago but I think I chose plain.
I love this idea so much! I hadn’t heard of it before but I’m off to make an order.
Can we also just appreciate JANE IN A DRESS!!! YOU LOOK SO LOVELY!
haha! Thanks so much Hayley!
I ordered a box probably similar time. Mine hasn’t arrived yet but love your dress so hopeful. Thought it a wonderful idea.
Hope it arrives soon x
Ooh! What a fantastic idea- you’ve got me interested what does the quality of the fabric feel like? x
It’s great – no complaints – as good as you’d buy in any high street store.
My wife’s just received her box. Apart from the style not matching what she asked for, the colours being completely different to her request and the clothes being worth about £30, it’s great. Plus it took about 3 months to arrive.
Just give the money to charity instead.
Well, you have in effect given the money to charity, so if you donate the clothes, you’re giving twice.